Most assessments of the links between trade, environment and policies have focused on trade in goods or on unilateral domestic liberalization measures. Other elements of the trade agenda?defined as issues covered by existing or proposed multilateral, regional or bilateral agreements?have received much less attention, in particular trade in services and investment. Each of these areas presents distinctive methodological challenges. This project will explore methodologies for the full range of trade issues.

There are theoretical reasons for the failure to successfully integrate economic modelling and sustainability assessments relating to the metric of economic models, which revolve around markets and prices, and the fact that there is little prospect in the foreseeable future of expressing environmental values appropriately in this metric. The project will explore the limits and potential for enlarging the use of models for sustainability assessment.

This research proposal seeks to develop assessment methodologies in areas that appear particularly promising or particularly urgent. It will cover methodologies for product chain assessment; assessment of specific service sectors; assessment of investment; assessment of commodity markets; techniques for stakeholder consultation. The project will explore the potential and limits of integration of methodologies. In each instance there will be a lead institute and at least one partner institute to provide support and review.